Ninety seconds on Antikenmuseum Basel
Worth planning a Basel morning around, this museum keeps one of the world's most important collections of Greek vases beside the richest Egyptian collection in Switzerland.
The Greek vases fill the upper floors. Made between the 8th and the 4th century BC, they carried wine and oil, and the scenes painted on the outside show gods, heroes and daily life. Read those scenes slowly, because they record how the Greeks saw their myths and their own society.
Most of these vases were made in Greece but found in central Italy, where the local elite bought them as imports. Around 50 of the finest stand in chronological order in the largest hall, so you can follow the painting style from case to case.
The Egyptian rooms are the other half of the visit. Some 600 objects, from prehistory to the Graeco-Roman period, are set out in six themed areas, with statues and sarcophagi among them.
The Etruscan galleries run through six rooms of decorated ceramics, weapons and everyday objects. That culture peaked in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, and its filigree jewellery rewards a close look at the cases.
Downloading the audio guide in the lobby saves trouble later, because the signal drops in the basement. The permanent collection has three free audio tours: Egypt, 101 Masterpieces and Greek Myths. They play in German, English and French through a QR code, so bring your own phone and headphones.
Upstairs, the vases are set out as four themed exhibitions, and How a Masterpiece Is Created shows how the pots were made and used. The Greek sculptures stand in the top-lit Oberlichtsaal.
Go down to the basement for the Roman portraits, sarcophagi and funerary reliefs. The Egyptian rooms carry a children's trail if you come with a family. End at the museum restaurant for a drink or a meal.
Public guided tours are listed in the events calendar on the museum's website, so check it for dates before you plan the day around one. Private tours of the collection or a special exhibition, and group tours, are arranged by contacting the museum ahead. For an evening event, call the museum in advance if you need wheelchair access.
Come by day for the vases: on Thursday and Friday evenings the vase collection and its exhibitions close, though the rest of the museum stays open and entry is free from 5pm.
Basel's First Sunday each month brings much larger crowds, so arrive at opening that day.
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